Uzbekistan is a land of natural wonders and awesome beauty. It is located in the heart of central Asia, between the Amu and Syr rivers. The rich history and cultural legacy of the country was evident from the extraordinary variety of archaeological and cultural and historical sites interspersed throughout the country.
Its ancient cities like Bukhara, Khiva and Samarkand have served as major trade centres and seats of learning on the Silk Road linking civilisation of the East and West. The trade route was named after silk, the natural fibre produced in Chinese and was in great demand in Europe.
The geographical position of the country made it attractive to numerous conquerors and some greatest travellers like Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo.
Uzbekistan was conquered many times by various nations and warriors; from the west came Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan erupted from the East, while Tamerlane (conqueror of the world) it his home. Divided into the khanates of Bukhara, Khiva and Kokand, it provided the most exotic and terrifying playing fields of “The Great Game,” the 19th century war for territory between Imperial Russia and Great Britain.
Bukhara:  The rich architectural inheritance of Uzbekistan is endowed with some of the most audacious buildings in the Islamic world. Bukhara’s mosques and palaces are evidence of many civilisations that settled there before and after the Uzbeks. Famous sites of Bukhara include the mausoleum of Ismail Samani, the Ark Fortress, the summer residence of former Emirs, the famous Kalyan Minaret and Labi-hauz.
Samarkand: Â A spectacular city of Uzbekistan, famous for its beautiful architecture and monuments. The mausoleum of Imam al-Bukhari in Samrkand is a very impressive sight. It is a masterpiece of modern Uzbek architecture based on traditional oriental style. Gur-Amir Mausoleum is another famous tourist attraction in Samarkand where, among others, Timur himself is buried . Timur warned that it will bring war and devastation to whoever disturbs his grave. A Soviet Archeological Commission did open his grave and examined his remains. This took place in 1941. The next day Hitler invaded the Soviet Union.
Khiva: Besides being the biggest centre of international trade, Khiva was also known as scientific centre of central Asia for its mathematicians, astronomers and medical scholars. There lived and worked great scientists such as Abu Al Khorezmi, Abu Raikhan Beruni, Abu Ali Ibn Sina. This historical city is sometimes referred to as an architectural museum under the open sky. It contains many historical buildings and monuments.  In 1990 the city was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
 Economy: Uzbekistan is the most powerful and populous country among the central Asian states. Its industry is closely tied to its natural resources. The country has diverse energy resources including oil, natural gas and coal. It is among the world’s top ten producers of natural gas and the largest gas producer in Central Asia. Uzbekistan’s power industry is a major catalyst of national economic growth.
Uzbekistan has 37 power stations with installed capacity of 11.2 million Kwt. Cotton, the white gold of Central Asia, forms the backbone of the economy, with 85 percent exported.
Uzbekistan has the world’s fourth largest gold reserves and is the world’s seventh largest producer. The current production of 70 tonnes of gold per year accounts for 6 per cent of GDP and 18 per cent of the exports. It is also the fourth largest uranium producer of the world. The country also has deposits of silver, copper, lead, zinc and tungsten.
Education: Uzbekistan has over 90 literacy rate. women in Uzbekistan have equal rights and playing their due role in progress and prosperity of the country. All citizens are provided with free education upto secondary level.
The writer is a student at University of Manchester
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